Sunetra Pawar elected NCP chief; Parth Pawar to Rajya Sabha

Nearly a month after Ajit Pawar’s sudden death, the Nationalist Congress Party held its national conference and unanimously elected Sunetra Pawar as national president, making her the widow of Ajit Pawar the party’s new top leader. Praful Patel was re-elected as the national working president, while Sunil Tatkare was unanimously re-elected as president of the party’s Maharashtra unit. It was Mr. Patel who moved the motion to nominate Ms. Pawar, seconded by Mr. Tatkare.\n\nAccepting the role in an emotional speech, Ms. Pawar said the new responsibility might be challenging, but “not impossible.” She recalled her long association with the party and Ajit Pawar, stressing that the NCP is her family and that she has lived with a storm named Ajit Pawar for 40 years. She added that the focus would be on women and that the party must spread in urban areas, never leaving any section of society behind and always walking together with Shiv, Shahu, Phule, and Ambedkar ideology guiding its path.\n\nIn another significant decision, Parth Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s son, was chosen to represent the party in the Rajya Sabha, signaling a new generation of leadership within the party.\n\nSenior leaders expressed confidence in Ms. Pawar’s ability to lead in turbulent times. NCP veteran Chhagan Bhujbal lauded her multilingual speech and pledged support, noting the challenges ahead but presenting a united front. The party’s leadership stressed continuity and a commitment to the party’s core ideological tenets as they navigate a period of flux in regional politics.\n\nThe backdrop to the conference remains the recent passing of Ajit Pawar, which has created a power vacuum and sparked flux within Maharashtra’s political landscape, as two major parties undergo transitions and realignments. Nevertheless, the party moved decisively to consolidate leadership and project a vision for expansion and social inclusion.

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